Bukayo Saka scored a hat-trick as England beat France 6-4 in a breathtaking third-place playoff in Miami, securing the Three Lions' best World Cup finish since winning the trophy in 1966.
The match was one of the craziest in World Cup history. England led 4-0 at half-time after a stunning first 45 minutes, with stand-in captain Declan Rice opening the scoring by winning a ball off Désiré Doué and slotting into the far corner. Rice then flighted a corner for Ezri Konsa to head home. Saka added two more before the break, the first after Marcus Rashford led a break.
“Bukayo Saka hat-trick fires England to 6-4 win over France, claiming bronze – their best World Cup since 1966.”
But France roared back in the second half, led by Kylian Mbappé, who took his tournament tally to ten. The score became 4-3, and England were hanging on. In the tense moments, Saka scored from the penalty spot to make it 5-3. France responded to make it 5-4 in injury time, but Jude Bellingham sealed the win with a breakaway goal.
"This is the best England group for a very long time," said Rice, who wore the captain's armband. "That's a fact. No-one can take that away from us." He added: "We're so close, honestly. It's a game of small margins."
Thomas Tuchel, who was booed by England fans before kick-off, had faced criticism after the semi-final defeat to Argentina. The win was a huge response from the players. Assistant manager Anthony Barry, emotional in his half-time interview with BBC One when England were 4-0 up, said: "I can't find the words to describe how proud I am of these players. They're playing a game with broken hearts."
England made seven changes from the semi-final, leaving out Harry Kane and Bellingham initially. The bronze medal is England's best World Cup performance on foreign soil. The question now: can this group turn near misses into a first major trophy since 1966?